Drunk in Love
by beyondmythought-s
Summary: -Based off Tumblr prompt- Beth hadn't intended to get this drunk. All she wanted was a ride home where she could crawl into bed, but why was Daryl Dixon answering her brother's number? One drunken phone call is the beginning of a friendship and a little bit more between her and Daryl Dixon and Beth Greene couldn't find it to be mad about the number mix up.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I got this incredible prompt on Tumblr and I've had so much encouragement from everyone that I've decided to take this on as a full length story.

Shout out to jazznsmoke for encouraging me to post and HarryPottergrl19 for the wonderful prompt. Both are so sweet and such talented little writers!

Disclaimer: I don't own TWD or any of it's characters

* * *

Standing outside the bar, Beth could only curse her own stupidity. She hadn't meant to drink so much, but it was hard to keep track of everything Amy and Tara kept handing her. Earlier that night they came to her apartment and dressed her up and then stole her away to this hole in the wall bar. Her outfit was something she wouldn't have ever picked for herself. The high rise shorts were just long enough to cover her ass but accentuated her narrow waist, at least according to Tara it did, and Amy knotted up one of Shawn's old white shirts the hung slightly of her collarbone and gave a small glimpse of her stomach. Beth supposed she should be thankful they let her wear her chuck taylors instead of the glitzy heels they loved to rock.

But back to the issue at hand, both of her friends were in the process of trying to out drink one another. Beth had floated in that in between state of a decent buzz and being a sloppy drunk wanted to get home before she got included in the games her friends were playing. She didn't really want alcohol poisoning. She began staring hard at the screen of her phone. Who did she exactly call?

She knew her father was completely out of the question lest she want a lecture on the dangers of alcoholism in their family. She considered Maggie for minute, but decided against her sister unless that was the only option. Maggie would hold onto this information and later use it as blackmail when she didn't want to do something. Her sister was conniving enough to do that, she had witnessed Maggie get Shawn to completely clean out her horses stall just so she wouldn't rat him out for sneaking out.

That was it! She'd call Shawn! He would never rat on her because he hated when Maggie did that. He might be a tad bit pissed that it was three in the morning, but his over protectiveness would override that anger. She struggled to punch in the passcode into her phone. Fuck, maybe she had more to drink than she originally thought?

The phone rang twice before a gruff voice answered the phone.

"Hey, Shawn can you uh come get me?" Beth could only pray she didn't slur her words too bad. It was better for him to only think she was tipsy. His overprotective streak was well known in their home town.

"Fuck, Beth where are you? This ain't Shawn's number anymore" The gruff voice now suddenly clicked with Beth. It was Daryl Dixon, Shawn's best friend and also the guy she had been not so secretly crushing on for a few years. When did he get Shawn's number? Beth's confusion was cut short when Daryl asked again where she was.

"I'm at Jakes, but I wanna go home and my rides I think are worse off than I am" Beth mumbled. This phone call was much more awkward when it was her crush rather than her brother.

Daryl had told her to go back inside and wait, he'd arrive in fifteen minutes. Beth snapped her phone shut and went back to join Tara and Amy.

The fifteen minutes passed pretty quickly, but that could be the three extra shots of whiskey Beth took to help calm her nerves. If she had been teetering on the edge before she was completely gone now. One of the bar regulars, Len, had been leering at her all night and making suggestive comments to his friends began to make his way over to Beth.

His path was intercepted by an intimidating Daryl Dixon who gave him the coldest glare. Len could see Daryl was sober and he had no shot of beating him in a bar fight turned and went right back to his friends. Daryl helped Beth from the bar stool she was seated on and let her lean on him as they walked to his truck.

"How come you have Shawn's number?" Beth wasn't even sure her question came out coherently, but Daryl seemed to understand what she said.

"I think he or Maggie switched our numbers as a joke and you didn't catch it because you're drunk Greene" He was shaking his head. Beth knew Shawn and him were the best of friends, but he didn't exactly approve of the practical jokes they played on her.

She hmph'ed in response. Between the heat blowing from the truck's air conditioning and those last shots of whiskey Beth could feel her eyes closing against their will. Before she passed out she swore she heard love you Greene, but it just had to be the alcohol in her system right?

The next morning Beth woke in a bed that wasn't her own, but she did recognize the sheets. She turned red as she realized Daryl had taken her to his apartment because she had blacked out on him. She was mortified she had let herself get that drunk. She padded out into the living room to see Daryl watching the weather channel. She knew he must be planning a camping trip soon, he and Shawn went regularly.

"I'm so sorry about last night" Beth could only hope he knew how genuinely sorry she was. She wasn't the girl that called people drunk. Hell, she wasn't the kind of girl to even get drunk.

"Don't be. I don't mind being your chauffeur when you're drunk. You say the most interesting things Greene, anytime you're drunk you can call. Hell, you can call sober too" He said with a joking manner.

It made Beth wonder what exactly she told him, but she knew one thing for sure; she'd take him up on his offer to call him when she was sober.

"Let me buy lunch and you can tell me about how crazy I am drunk Mr. Dixon"

Beth couldn't keep the smile off her face when she saw Daryl grab the keys to his truck and motion towards the front door. No, this would lead to many more phone calls. Hopefully all of them would be made sober. She'd have to thank Shawn. This was one practical joke she could take.


	2. Chapter 2

Beth had glanced at her phone as she, Tara, and Amy left the gym. She had been hoping Daryl had texted her, but also knew he was with her brother so it was unlikely. It had been two weeks since he had picked her up from the bar. The lunch had been a good time, but Daryl had remained tight lipped about what she told him when she was drunk. While he had refused to comment on her drunken antics, he did start texting her more and they had been hanging out.

"Girl has it bad. The boyfriend text you yet?" Tara teased and Amy laughed at the joke. Her two best friends had been giving her a hard time ever since she spilled the beans.

"No Daryl hasn't texted me and besides he isn't my boyfriend," Beth huffed. She regretted ever telling her friends. It was ritual on every Tuesday to go to Michonne's kickboxing class, Andrea, Amy's sister insisted they take the class, and then head up to Cotton Row Café to order chili cheese fries and catch up on the latest gossip. The Tuesday following the drunk debacle her friends had inquired about how Beth made it home. If she had been thinking straight instead of trying to decipher whether Daryl's text had been flirty or not she would have known better than to tell those two. They were almost worse than bloodhounds who caught a scent on a hunt.

Beth missed whatever joke Amy made in response because she had been lost in her thoughts. They walked into the little café and took their usual seats and waited for Sophia to bring out the sweet tea. They had been doing this for so long that Sophia didn't need to ask them what they were ordering.

"So, as you know this weekend is my 22nd birthday and we need to celebrate," Amy said with great flourish. Beth could only shake her head at her best friend. Every birthday was a big deal where Amy was concerned. Every year she tried to outdo herself with shenanigans. Last year, she managed to find a little cabin in the woods and threw a huge bonfire and brought moonshine barrels because according to Amy, you only turn 21 once.

"Of course we know, what's the plan?" Tara was always down for whatever Amy planned. Beth could only inwardly groan when she saw the smirk that appeared on her friend's face. Amy only smirked like that when she landed a piece of juicy gossip or had a wicked scheme set up.

"Well, I was shopping the other day and I overheard Gareth-that new receptionist at your Daddy's clinic Beth- mention this karaoke bar called Terminus in Atlanta and I've decided that's where we are going!" Amy said.

Beth was puzzled. That idea was pretty tame, why would Amy smirk like that?

"What's the catch, Aims? This is pretty low key for you," Tara must've been on the same page as Beth. This wasn't the usual plan or type of plans that girl made.

"Well, apparently the night we are going is Coyote Ugly style. They pick the prettiest girls to dance on the bar and I want to us to be those girls. Also, we aren't bringing any of the boys or tellin' where we are going. Got it?" Amy looked so smug when she announced her plan.

"I'm in for sure! It sounds great! Beth?" Tara and Amy were both looking at Beth now.

"Uh, I'm not sure," Beth mumbled and felt like a party pooper.

Typically when the girls hit a bar they had never been to, they brought Shawn and some of his friends. Shawn had this horrible overprotective streak when it came to his baby sister. It didn't matter they were half siblings and that Beth was only a year and half younger. This would be a big risk going without them. Beth wasn't sure if she wanted to break that tradition and go without Shawn and his friends.

The door chimed and in walked Shawn and some friends. Beth had to stop herself from smiling when she caught sight of Daryl. She could admit he looked attractive even when covered in grease. Her thoughts stopped short when Jimmy waltzed over and made some disgusting comment. Beth shot him a dirty look when he threw his arm over her shoulder.

"Get your paws off of me," Beth shoved his arm off.

"Jimmy keep your fuckin' hands off my sister before I decide to chop 'em off," Shawn snarled. While Jimmy had been friends with Shawn for years, he was still earning Shawn's trust back after he was caught cheating on Beth.

"Hey man, I like my girls a little bit more wild. Bethie's too much of a good girl for me," Jimmy said laughing.

Beth could swear she saw Daryl give Jimmy a dirty look, but Shawn had grabbed Jimmy in a headlock and bid the girls farewell. The guys had relocated to a table in the farthest corner where the girls couldn't hear their conversation.

That didn't matter. All Beth heard was Jimmy's words. She would show him. Beth Greene could be wild. She was going to be one of the girls who danced on the bar at Terminus.

"Girls, boring Beth is done. Let's do this Terminus thing." Beth said confidently. Amy and Tara both exchanged smiles and set the game plan for getting ready.

* * *

Before Beth knew it Saturday morning had arrived. Beth had found it easier to keep the truth from Shawn about their actual plans since he had taken off with Daryl, Jimmy, and surprisingly Gareth for a quick hunting trip. Apparently, they were showing Gareth the ropes since he was new in town. Shawn had been wary about leaving Beth, but he would be home before she left the bar and could pick her up in an emergency situation. It probably helped that he assumed the girls were going to see Miley Cyrus on her newest tour and had immediately lost his interest in going to watch over his baby sister.

Beth was sort of regretting her decision on going when she saw the outfit Amy had picked out. It wasn't something she would ever pick out for herself, but she'd suck it up because it was Amy's birthday. Beth was just glad Amy had chosen a romper with a cute pair of gladiators. The top half was long sleeved and mesh with what looked like a plain black bandeau and high rise shorts. This was one of the most revealing outfits Beth had ever been wrangled into wearing. She could only curse when she heard the front door to her apartment slam open.

Not only was Shawn back, but she could hear the voices of his little hunting part. Shit, any minute now Amy and Tara would show up. Beth swallowed her fear for a second and remembered why she was doing this. She wasn't going to be boring Beth anymore. She straightened her shoulders when she got the text that Amy and Tara were coming and walked into the living room. All of the boys had been focused on the television they hadn't even realized Beth walked out.

Beth felt the taste of victory swell in her chest. That wonderful feeling was completely dashed when she heard Shawn.

"What the fuck are you wearin' Beth?" Beth knew from Shawn's tone that he wasn't a fan of her outfit. In fairness she wasn't either, but it was her best friend's birthday and it'd make her happy.

"Oh, this. It's nothin' Amy just picked it out for the concert," Beth could only pray her half lie would be believed.

"You're right its fuckin' nothin'. Where is the rest of your clothin'?" Shawn wasn't budging on the issue. His accent had grown thicker with his anger.

Before Beth could even think of a response, Amy and Tara walked in. Beth could only thank God that her friends were wearing more revealing outfits than she was. Shawn would be less suspicious of her outfit when compared to theirs it was tame. Tara had on a short black romper that was completely backless and was haltered around her neck. Amy had the most risqué outfit, going for just a studded bra and sky high black shorts.

"Look Shawn, we're runnin' behind on schedule and we don't wanna miss the concert because we wasted time changin' our clothes. Love ya, see ya tomorrow," Beth knew that it was better to leave now while Shawn was pouting before he decided he needed to go to the concert as well.

* * *

The music was loud at Terminus, but the girls were having such a good time. Amy had been shamelessly flirting with the bar tender and had managed to get the girls free drinks for the remainder of the evening. Beth was pretty tipsy after doing several rounds of shots with her friends. She was glad Tara had the foresight to rent a hotel room within walking distance of the bar. None of them would be in the condition to drive home.

The bar was surprisingly crowded for only midnight. Beth and Tara had just taken shots of whiskey when an announcer started ringing a bell.

"Heads up ladies, if you receive a tap on the shoulder from one of these gentleman before the next bell rings get your ass up on the bar and dance."

Beth could feel the nervous energy vibrating off of Amy. Her friend wanted nothing more than to be someone chosen, but more than that she wanted all three of them together dancing on the bar. Several minutes had passed and Beth feared they wouldn't be chosen. She didn't need to worry too much longer because the announcer pointed over at them and motioned towards them. He gave them the taps on their shoulders and a wink and then rang the bell.

Beth, Tara, and Amy squealed in excitement and picked a corner of the bar were all three of them could fit. All of a sudden the lyrics of Def Leopard's Pour Some Sugar on Me came blasting out of the speakers. The girls had so much fun shimmying and grinding on each other. They weren't really paying attention to how sensual their dance was.

They were just having a good time dancing on the bar. Beth had been swinging her butt when she heard a familiar voice.

"What the fuck Beth, ain't ya supposed to be at a concert?"

* * *

A/N: Shoutout to jazznsmoke for being such a great BETA and letting me bounce ideas off of her! Also, thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. It really is nice knowing people are liking what I write :D

And a thank you to lighassnow for being so encouraging on Tumblr! I promise once there is a smut chapter it'll be solely dedicated to you!


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl wanted to bang his head on the wall of his best friend's apartment. They were putting together the finishing touches of the hunt they were going on this weekend when Shawn casually suggested inviting Jimmy and Gareth along. Gareth, Daryl could understand, the dude was new in town and didn't have many friends. Jimmy was the problem here.

Maybe if Daryl had never picked Beth up from the bar that night and subsequently began spending time with her, he wouldn't be this annoyed. Shawn had completely shut Jimmy out when he found out the asshole had been cheating on her. Daryl didn't know all the details, but he did know whatever confrontation went down between those two hadn't been pretty.

Daryl couldn't fathom why anyone on this earth would want to cheat on Beth Greene. She was pretty much the prettiest girl Daryl had ever laid eyes on. Even more, she had the best personality. Daryl groaned because that meant he would have to bring up the conversation of asking Beth out in front of that obnoxious prick.

Whatever, it didn't matter, Dixon's weren't pussies and he wasn't going to chicken out just because Jimmy might make an obnoxious comment or two.

Daryl glanced at his phone to catch the time and contemplated on texting Beth. He figured he could hold off for the day since he was with her brother. He didn't need Shawn to be suspicious before he brought it up in the woods.

"Hey, Jimmy wants to meet up at Cotton Row Café to go over the game plan for this weekend," Shawn said. He grabbed his keys and they went out to meet Jimmy.

"Well, how nice is this? The prettiest girls in Senoia all out to welcome me." Jimmy said as he threw his arm over Beth.

He could hear Beth angrily telling Jimmy to remove his paws. Daryl could feel himself smirk inwardly. Beth certainly could handle herself, but if she needed the help he'd more than oblige removing that pricks hand.

"Jimmy keep your fuckin' hands off of my sister before I decide to chop 'em off," Shawn snarled.

Daryl wanted to laugh. Everyone in town knew not to mess with Beth, especially if Shawn was in the vicinity. He took the whole protective brother thing to a whole new level.

"Hey, man. I like my girls a little bit more wild. Bethie's too much of a good girl for me," Jimmy's nonchalance was starting to piss Daryl off.

For someone trying to earn back Shawn's respect, Jimmy sure was doing his best to fuck everything up in Daryl's opinion. Besides there was nothing fucking wrong with Beth being good or doing the right thing. Daryl had to stop himself from glaring at the douche when he noticed the embarrassment on Beth's face.

He didn't have to worry about keeping his temper in check to much longer when Shawn grabbed Jimmy in a headlock and dragged him to a new table where the girls couldn't hear them talking.

"Listen hear, don't be an ass-hat to my sister. Want to hang out again like old times then you need to prove you aren't the douche lord who fucked my sister over," Shawn hissed at Jimmy.

While Daryl used to disapprove of how fiercely protective Shawn was of Beth in that moment he couldn't be more thankful. Shawn was saying everything he wanted to tell Jimmy.

"Bad joke man, lighten up ya know I respect Beth. Anyways we're here to talk huntin'," Jimmy didn't really seem to catch Shawn's threat. But he had successfully maneuvered the conversation into the hunting trip they were partaking in this weekend.

* * *

Daryl rubbed his eyes and shut off his phone alarm that had been screeching. It was roughly 3:45 and he had to be at Shawn's apartment around 4:30. He was excited to go quail hunting with the guys, but more importantly he was excited to have the opportunity to chat with Shawn about Beth.

Now, most people would assume Daryl was bat shit insane for bringing up dating Shawn Greene's baby sister while he had a weapon in his hands. But Shawn was most at ease and level headed during a hunt. Daryl hoped maybe that would help keep Shawn rational and if not well he would have Athoi and his own weapon to protect himself as well.

Daryl had gotten dressed and loaded Athoi-his bloodhound-into his truck and headed towards the Greene's apartment. It was a short drive to the apartment. Before he knew it, he was sending Shawn a text to let him know he was down stairs, waiting for him and the others. Shawn had Jimmy and Gareth following him like lost puppies and he looked less than pleased. Shawn slammed open the front seat and climbed into the truck while Gareth and Jimmy climbed in the back. Before Daryl could even pull out of the driveway, Beth ran out of the apartment.

Daryl could immediately guess why Shawn was upset. Jimmy had probably made some douche comment because of the yoga shorts that Beth had been wearing. In fairness, they did extenuate her long legs and Daryl couldn't help but stare.

Daryl caught himself before Shawn did.

"Hey, here's some food for the drive and take Bandit with you. Ya know he loves a good quail hunt," Beth handed over several brown bags with everyone's name on it and opened the door to let their Sussex-Spaniel hop onto Shawn's lap.

"Thanks, what time ya goin' to that concert tonight?" Shawn still had a sour look on his face, but his mood had seemed to lift a little bit with the presence of Bandit and the smell of food.

"Probably leavin' round eight since it's such a late concert." Beth told him.

Daryl didn't want to say anything to Shawn about it in case he was wrong, but something told him they had other plans. Beth's tone of voice was weird when she was telling him about the concert. Plus, everyone in town knew how fucking crazy Amy could be when it came to her birthday. A low key concert adventure didn't really strike Daryl as the sort bat shit insane party Amy would want. But he kept his opinions to himself. Partially because he hoped if Beth found herself in a tight situation she'd just call him. He knew the last time was unintentional, but it had led them to hanging out more.

As Beth turned to walk back into the apartment, Jimmy let out a whistle.

"Man, God was smilin' down on us when he made those yoga shorts. Damn, I forgot Beth's got a set a legs on her," Jimmy said with a laugh.

It was causal and Daryl hated Jimmy's flippant attitude, but he couldn't disagree. Beth Greene had a damn fine set of legs.

Shawn turned pretty fast in his seat, "Shut the fuck up about Beth's legs. Just for that bullshit I'm eatin' your banana bread Beth made fresh this morning."

Daryl almost laughed at how quickly Jimmy's face paled. Everyone knew Beth Greene was a phenomenal cook and she took special pride in her secret recipe for her banana bread.

"Dude, why would you talk about Shawn's girlfriend like that?" Gareth asked, genuinely confused by Jimmy's remark. Daryl let out a bark of laughter. Of course Gareth would take Shawn's overprotective nature as a jealous significant other.

"What the fuck? That's my baby sister. You work for my fuckin' Dad, how have you not seen pictures of her around the office?" Shawn spat. Shawn looked a little green at the accusation of dating Beth.

"Oh, I just figured since you two live together maybe she was dating you. Isn't it weird for a brother and sister to be roommates?" Gareth asked. The poor boy honestly looked lost trying to connect the dots.

"Oh, we haven't been roommates long. Some asshole cheated on her and then kicked her out of their apartment. Beth really didn't have nowhere to go and I wasn't gonna let my sister move back home neither," Shawn said it nonchalantly, but everyone in the car did not miss the way Jimmy sank in his seat.

* * *

Daryl wanted to throttle both Jimmy and Gareth. They had decided since there were two hunting dogs that they'd split up into two teams and compete with hunting quails. Daryl could only thank God he was paired off with Gareth. He wasn't sure he would have the patience to deal with Jimmy's bullshit.

Though, Shawn seemed to have a handle on it. A quick reminder that Rick Grimes, the town's head sheriff, was Shawn's God Father and would write off any injury Jimmy received today as a hunting accident and no one would contest that. Jimmy shut his mouth sensing Shawn would make due his threat.

Anyways, that was a few hours ago. While Daryl and Gareth had won, the hunt hadn't been that great overall. Gareth was a shit shot and Jimmy couldn't keep quiet. Plus, Daryl didn't even get a fucking chance to talk to Shawn about asking his little sister out. Fuck today and fuck this hunt. Really, Daryl just wanted to say fuck it all.

"Listen, we have time, let's grab some food at my place before Beth leaves for that concert," Shawn suggested. No one argued with that.

Daryl wished they had argued. Looking at Beth's outfit now he felt his throat close. How the fuck could someone be so innocent and then so fucking hot at once? It shouldn't be possible. Part of Daryl was with Shawn when he started bitching about her outfit. But only because he wanted to explore what was underneath that clothing in his bedroom.

Shawn hadn't been successful in getting Beth to agree to change and it was visible to everyone in the room. Gareth had missed the entire exchange because he had been in the bathroom.

"What the fuck should we do tonight, guys?" Shawn asked everyone. Daryl knew he was only asking for plans so he'd be too busy to stalk his sister and her little friends.

"Look if we shower I know this bar in Atlanta that's really cool. They have these girls that dance on the bar and the best drinks," Gareth suggested.

"That sounds fuckin' perfect to me. Drinks and ladies, I'm in." Jimmy fist bumped Gareth.

"Doesn't sound too bad, what's this bar called anyways?" Shawn asked.

"It's called Terminus, everyone in?" at this point Gareth looked pointedly over at Daryl.

He felt himself nodding in assent. He had planned to wait around and see if Beth called or texted him, but he guessed Terminus would be an alright runner up to waiting around like a lovesick puppy.

* * *

A/N:And there is chapter three! Anyways, huge thank you to jazznsmoke for being such a great BETA and friend. I worked 70 plus hours this week and if it wasn't for her encouragement I probably wouldn't have written this chapter. Thanks to everyone how has favorited, followed, and reviewed. I really appreciate the love y'all give this story

Disclaimer: I don't own TWD or any of its charracters


	4. Chapter 4

Beth could only groan when she heard, "What the fuck Beth, ain't ya supposed to be at a concert?" and saw Jimmy looking up at her.

As annoyed as she was at seeing her ex-boyfriend this was the best-case scenario really. It would be a million times worse if Shawn knew.

"Change of plans. Shit happens, ya know? I think it's best you leave us alone because we are trying to enjoy the rest of the night." Beth told him in her coldest voice. She typically wasn't this rude or cold, but after everything that happened with Jimmy she wasn't about to let him walk all over her again. Anyways, all those girl power pep talks from Tara and Amy seemed to be paying off.

She turned around to tell Tara and Amy that she caught sight of Jimmy. She saw her friends giggling at the bar and joined them.

"Where'd ya go missy, we wanna do shooooooooots," Tara slurred as she threw both her arms around Beth.

"I just fuckin' ran into Jimmy here of all places. Let's do a fuckin' shot." Beth told her girls.

The bar tender came over as Amy flagged him down and told him she wanted three blowjobs. She giggled at the name, but it was seriously her favorite drink. Amy loved the Kahlua and Bailey's Irish Cream topped with whip cream.

The girls raised their drinks to each other.

"To my girls, let's fuck shit up tonight!" Amy said and downed her shot.

Amy looked over for Tara's toast, "To celebrating with the baddest bitches and the best drinks. You two are my best friends and I love ya!" Tara took her shot like a pro.

Both girls now had one hundred percent of their attention fixed on Beth.

She had felt uneasy for a second because she was never as bold as her best friends and she wasn't quite as vulgar either, unless she was upset or drunk.

"To tonight, to being wild and learning to let loose with my bad bitches," Beth told them and took her shot and smiled. Tonight was going to be perfect.

Except, Jimmy was back and pulling on her arm. She wanted to roll her eyes at the fact he couldn't fucking take the hint that she didn't want to speak to him.

"Look Beth, I get it you hate me, but ya gotta leave now." Jimmy told her.

"You fucking lost your right to tell me what do a while ago, I'm fucking staying and celebrating my best friend's birthday," Beth wanted so badly to slap him.

"I'm not asking you to leave because I'm some jealous douche. Shawn is here with Daryl and Gareth and he'll fucking lose his shit if he catches you here." Jimmy looked around the bar to spot where he had left Shawn to make sure he hadn't been spotted talking to Beth.

Beth paled, but felt herself nodding and trying to get back to the bar to tell the girls that they needed to bounce.

Before, she could reach the girls another obnoxious guy had started trying to talk to her. She remembered him from earlier. His name was Zach or something, but he hadn't really taken the hint that he wasn't wanted around earlier. Even when he heard about Beth's supposed boyfriend, the word had brought snickers from her two best friends as they thought of Daryl Dixon.

* * *

The music was loud at Terminus and Daryl grimaced. This wasn't really his scene. He preferred more low-key bars, but he could put up with it for one night. Once they got there, Jimmy headed to the bathroom and Shawn went in search for a booth for the guys to sit at so they could catch the next showing of girls dancing on the bar.

Daryl heard Gareth whistle and then felt a small sting in his ribs where Gareth elbowed him.

"Dude, that blonde Jimmy is talkin' to looks like your type or at least what Jimmy described earlier," Gareth said amiably.

Daryl wanted to punch Jimmy for gossiping about what he did and didn't like with Gareth. It wasn't that he had a problem with Gareth. The guy was all right with him, but he took forever connecting the dots or connected the wrong dots.

Daryl stared closer at who Jimmy was talking to and could almost curse when he saw Jimmy walk away and realized it was Beth. They really needed to get Shawn the fuck out of here. He would have the world's biggest meltdown and Daryl frankly didn't want to deal with it.

"Hey, I'm gonna go over and try an' talk to her. Don't let Shawn see. I don't need him raggin' on my game with the ladies," Daryl felt bad about the white lie, but he didn't trust Gareth to not spill the beans about the baby Greene being in the bar.

"I'll be fine, anyways it looks like Jimmy is coming back we'll run diversion for ya" Gareth told him with a smile. The guy probably thought this was some sort of friendship test he had to pass.

Daryl didn't linger on the pleased look Gareth had given him. He was more concerned with the douche that had put his hands on Beth when she clearly looked uninterested.

He stalked over to them and caught the tail end of their conversation.

* * *

"Look, I understand that you think I'm hot or whatever but my boyfriend wouldn't appreciate you putting your hands all over me," Beth told him sternly.

Beth wanted to roll her eyes at Zach until he had grabbed her arm. She told him again about her boyfriend and he didn't seem to be buying it.

"I ain't seen a guy with you all night. If I were your boyfriend I wouldn't leave ya alone" Zach slurred.

Beth cringed and tried to think of a game plan to get out of this. She debated whether or not she should make a scene until she remembered somewhere in this bar is Shawn.

"Get your fuckin' hands off the girl. She don't want ya, can't ya take a hint? You alright Beth?" Daryl had come up and removed the guys' hand from her arm.

Beth's brain short-circuited for a second. Zach looked ready to protest or attempt to fight Daryl. Beth didn't think too much further when she crashed her lips to Daryl's and practically made out with him in front of Zach.

"I'm better now that you're here." Beth told him. She was flushed. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol in her system or if she felt legit butterflies when she kissed Daryl.

She looked around to see Zach had stalked off to bug another lady in the bar. She spun around and now realized she would have to explain to Daryl why she kissed him, but time wasn't exactly on her side.

"Look, we can talk about this later! I need to get those drunk floozies and get out of here before Shawn sees us. You aren't going to tell him I'm here?" Beth was petrified. She didn't want him to think she didn't care about him because of that kiss. She hoped he would give her a chance to explain with more time. She was fucked if Shawn found out. He'd probably take up stalking her and her friends if he caught her.

"I'll keep him distracted, but Beth we're having a conversation about this later." Daryl promised her and went back to wherever, she assumed, Shawn was.

She went directly over to her best friends.

"Girls, Shawn is here with his friends we gotta get out of here," Beth urged.

"Why is your face is so red, are you that drunk?" Amy giggled. She disregarded the Shawn comment completely. Tara hadn't disregarded the comment because she was scanning the bar for sight of the boys.

Beth would later ask herself if she was that drunk to spill the beans or still dazed from the kiss, but she told her friends none-the-less.

"I think I just made out with Daryl Dixon, but we got bigger things to deal with. Like fact we need to get out of here before Shawn catches us."

* * *

A/N: Jazznsmoke this one is for you! But really, thanks for all the love this story has received! It makes me excited to write! Let me know what you think with a review!

Disclaimer: I don't own TWD or any of it's characters.


	5. Chapter 5

Beth had counted herself very fortunate that she and the girls had escaped Terminus without Shawn catching them. Amy giggled whenever they discussed leaving Terminus, she liked using the word escape like they were living in some sort of sick reality show. Beth only wanted to roll her eyes. She was glad her friends found the entire situation hilarious, but that was her brother and it was a pain in the ass.

Plus, drunk Amy and Tara seemed to only latch onto one piece of their escape story. For an entire evening she had to listen to them drunkenly singing, "Daryl and Beth sitting in a bar K-I-S-S-I-N-G, with lots of tongue, gonna get married and make pretty babieeees."

The song didn't even flow well, but her friends had thought it was the single funniest thing ever. Even in the morning when everyone was dealing with hangovers they attempted singing it again. Beth could only thank God that their headaches lowered their voices.

* * *

Now that it was all over with and she was home she was dreading the talk she would have with Daryl. What do you even say in that situation? She didn't think saying, "Sorry I pretty much molested your mouth, but if you didn't mind wanna try again this time sober?" was appropriate.

Yeah, Beth wasn't really sure what the fuck she would be saying. She knew she liked him and kissing him had only cemented how much she was attracted to him. Just fuck, he was her brother's best friend. How fucking cliché could she get? She swallowed and checked her phone again. Daryl had texted her and asked if she wanted to come over to his apartment so they could talk.

She figured at least his apartment afforded the two of them privacy and made it so no one could overhear what they were discussing or interrupt. She had agreed before she even really thought it through. She wasn't really ready for rejection or for him to end their friendship.

It was close to lunchtime, but Beth had decided to skip out on lunch even though she had already skipped breakfast. Her stomach was in knots as she climbed up the stairs to Daryl's apartment. She briefly wondered if she should just turn around and leave town to create a new identity. As much as she wanted to run, she knew she had to face the consequences of her actions. Plus, it was a little too late to run because Daryl had been going inside his apartment after smoking and had seen her.

"Uh, hey" Beth mumbled lamely. She wasn't really sure how to greet him after everything at Terminus.

Daryl motioned for her to go inside his apartment. Beth bit her lip and went inside. How was she supposed to apologize for kissing him when she wanted to jump him now? This was bullshit and all Amy's fault. She shouldn't have gone all Fifty Shades of Grey when fucking discussing what she thought Daryl would do to Beth during this conversation. Plus he was wearing one of his sleeveless shirts, and damn if God hadn't blessed that man's arms. Who knew arms could even be that attractive?

Beth shook her head slightly. She needed to clear her head and thinking about jumping Daryl Dixon was a bad idea. Her worst idea really. Fuck, she was just awkwardly standing in his apartment fighting a blush from her face. She should just say something, anything really.

"Sorry for, uh, kissing you. I know you probably didn't want to and thanks for not telling Shawn." Beth was sure this was the most awkward apology she had ever made.

"Would you have done it if someone else had walked up?" Daryl asked her.

The question gave Beth pause. Would she have kissed someone else to get that drunk douche to leave her alone?

"No, I would have only kissed you," Beth really wanted to dissolve in the couch they were sitting in. She probably should of lied or maybe not answered the question.

"Good." He told her with a smirk.

What the actual fuck? Good, that was all he had to say? She fucking agonized over telling him the truth and all she got was good?

"What do you mean good?" Beth asked. She was so pissed, but she'd at least afford him the opportunity to explain himself before she freaked out.

"I mean it's good you wouldn't have kissed anyone else because I don't want you kissing anyone else." Daryl looked directly in her eyes as he told her this.

"And why the hell not?" Beth wasn't asking to be a bitch. She just needed an actual confirmation from him that he wanted exactly what she wanted. She needed him to say the words.

"You know," He told her. Apparently he didn't think she needed to hear the words, but she did. She really did.

"Apparently not if I'm asking you," Beth was being defiant. She was never like this, but she guessed all of Amy and Tara's coaching were finally paying off. Or maybe she hadn't ever wanted anyone as much as she wanted Daryl Dixon and that was making her act a little crazy.

"Fuck Beth, I want you. I want to take you to dinner. I want to be the person you call at night. I want to be the person that fucks you. What else do you want me to fucking list for you? Your brother is going to fucking kill me when he finds out." Daryl told her fiercely.

If it had been anyone else that aggressive statement would have bothered her, but this was Daryl and she only felt a fire in the pit of her stomach when he said those words to her. Without thinking too much into it, she threw herself on him.

Kissing him this time was so different from Terminus. That hadn't had an ounce of this animalistic passion. They both seemed hell bent on matching the other with passion. Beth felt the fire in her stomach growing and she wanted to be closer to Daryl. His hands had dipped under her shirt and settled on her hipbones. Pausing a moment from their kissing Beth leaned back and threw her shirt off.

Amy and Tara always talked about how being assertive got them things they wanted. Beth figured why not try it now?

Daryl stared at her for a moment in awe before maneuvering her under him on the couch. She should of felt trapped or caged with his weight on top of her, but she felt at home. She admired his arms that lie on either side of her. She had never seen another man with such attractive arms. Her thoughts we interrupted when Daryl's mouth found her neck and then her collarbone.

He pulled himself up for a quick moment. His hand hovered over the zipper of her jeans as if asking permission. Beth smiled and tried to raise her hips to help him. Before he could even get her zipper down, her stomach made the most obnoxious growling sound.

Whatever magic they had been under had been lost with the sound her stomach made. Both of them laughed about it.

"Guess we should feed ya?" Daryl laughed at the red that spread across Beth's face.

"Mm, only if you're paying. Since ya know you wanted to take me to dinner and all." Beth was smiling but she was scared she might've stepped over some imaginary boundary. She had sort of attacked him before they could even discuss what exactly they were.

"I guess we should try keeping that list in order for you." Daryl laughed as he threw her shirt to her.

Beth smiled as she put her shirt back on. She was sure that they'd have all sorts of problems soon, but for now she was going to enjoy his arm over her shoulder as they left his apartment.

* * *

A/N: So, as always a huge thank you to my beta jazznsmoke. Everyone she stop by her stories and tell her she's great because without her I probably would have agonized over this chapter forever. Drop a review and let me know what you think! And to everyone how has reviewed, favorited, and followed thank you so much! It's been so encouraging to hear everyone's feedback

Disclaimer: I don't own TWD or any of it's characters.


	6. Chapter 6

Beth had never been a fan of secrets. Growing up with two older siblings who made it their business to know everything going on in her life she never had room for secrets. It also didn't help that she had two best friends that were nosy as shit. Amy and Tara were the very best of friends, but they believed in sharing everything. Beth wished she were just being overdramatic when she talked about them sharing everything.

But for the first time Beth was sort of excited to carry this secret. She just hoped when she met up with Amy and Tara they couldn't see the secret she was carrying close to her heart. Daryl and she agreed they wanted to give each other a month or so before coming clean to their family and friends. They didn't want anyone else weighing in on their relationship until they knew exactly what they were. Plus, if for some reason within the month things didn't work out they could walk away from it, no harm no foul. No reason to cause a fall-out in their little friend group.

Although, Beth was getting much more confident with the way things were going that they would be telling their friends about their relationship at the end of the month. Beth had been worried that maybe the intense magnetic attraction she felt for Daryl would cool as they got more physical. It had the opposite effect. It was like their attraction was just taken to a new level.

It helped that as they got physically closer, they started learning things about each other that they didn't already know. It was weird knowing someone your entire life and then finding out there was so much more to that person.

Her favorite moment had been the only other time they had tried having sex. Or well, she tried being sexy and dropping on her knees for him. When she went to grab the back of his knee for leverage his knee jerked and knocked her over. His girlish squeal led her to the realization that Daryl Dixon was in fact ticklish.

The discovery sort of ruined the entire mood, but they spent the rest of the afternoon trading little secrets that no one else knew about them. That afternoon had cemented an intimacy between them that had been previously missing. Beth could feel her heart swell when she thought about sharing her darkest secrets with him. This was every reason why she knew she needed to keep her poker face in front of her best friends.

If they knew about her relationship, they would be supportive yes, but they would want to put their input in how Beth did everything. Not that she didn't love her friends, but if she had followed any of their dating advice she wouldn't have had that entire day sharing secrets with Daryl. Although, she probably would have ended up tangled up in the sheets with him so she guessed their advice wouldn't have been that awful.

* * *

Beth heard the bells chime from Cotton Row Café as she opened the door and made her way to her best friends. It was weird for Amy to call an emergency meeting on a Thursday with her girls. Beth wondered what could have happened since their Tuesday hangout.

"Beth, you're finally here. Good, I can tell you guys now." Amy said as she as she sat across from her and next to Tara.

Beth and Tara both exchanged curious looks. What in the fuck did Amy mean? It had to be serious if she felt she couldn't even mention it in their group text.

"So, at Terminus I guess I gave this guy my number and we've been talking and hanging out. I think he has boyfriend potential and I want everyone to meet him this weekend." Amy gushed to her friends.

Beth felt a wave of guilt hit her chest. Here was her friend sharing about a potential boyfriend while she was keeping her boyfriend a secret from them. Beth steeled her resolve. It was easy enough to steel her resolve while her friend was clearly so happy. She could bury the guilt under the genuine happiness she felt for her best friend.

"You wanna settle down? Does everyone know hell froze over?" Beth joked with Amy.

Her joke must' have been funny because Tara snorted and soda came out of her nose.

"Ha-Ha, super funny. But seriously guys, I'm throwing a bonfire tomorrow night and I really want your support. Ya know the guys are already gonna give him hell." Amy hardly ever begged or talked about a guy this way.

Beth knew she had to be serious about him if she was even bothering asking her friends to refrain from giving him hell.

"So, we gotta muzzle it while the boys get to have all the fun? You better be thankful Beth and I are such lovin' angels that'll be there for ya," Tara purposefully deepened her accent when she told Amy her version of what would happen.

Beth laughed. Amy's expression was priceless. It was moments like these she wouldn't trade for the world. She was really blessed with the two greatest friends. She couldn't wait until it was the three of them discussing her relationship with Daryl.

* * *

Beth had settled on a pink dress and her brown cowboy boots and a simple braid. There was really no reason for dressing fancy especially at a bonfire. She knew Shawn would be pleased as punch to see her wearing the boots. They had been a Christmas gift a year ago and anytime she wore them Shawn acted like a proud peacock showing off its feathers. She almost laughed when she remembered his face when she told him the analogy. He wasn't fond of that one.

She was a little nervous for this bonfire. First, it'd be an entire night surrounded by her closest friends and Daryl and she wasn't sure if she could hide the shift in their relationship. Second, she was singing a song with Tara, a surprise for Amy as a belated birthday gift. Lastly, she was nervous for Amy. She knew how intimidating their group of friends could be. She knew whoever made Amy want to settle down would have to be important and she hoped their friends wouldn't scare him off.

When she got there the party had been in full swing. It looked as though Gareth and Jimmy had engaged in some sort of drinking contest. Amy was floating around the entire party and engaging everyone in small conversations. She was so talented at that.

Once Shawn saw Daryl they both grabbed beers and sat on lawn chairs sitting by the fire and probably started talking about hunting or something. Beth could admire the outfit Daryl was wearing.

She could feel her face heat up. She hoped to God she always felt this way about Daryl.

Before she could make a bigger fool of herself for awkwardly standing around with an instrument case, Tara found her.

"Thank God you're here, I think that's the boy Aim's was tellin' us about." Tara pointed over to where Amy was standing and talking to a guy who looked familiar to Beth but she couldn't place why.

They both seemed wrapped up in each other. Amy hadn't even noticed that she had the attention of all their guy friends. Unfortunately, by being Beth's best friends it afforded any guy that tried dating the girls the same harsh treatment from Shawn and his friends.

"Let's sing this song so the boys stop glarin' at Amy's newest arm candy," Beth suggested to Tara who nodded in agreement.

Tara cleared her throat and got everyone's attention around the bonfire. Beth felt her face redden even further. Being best friends with two of the craziest girls in town never helped Beth stop feeling uncomfortable with a ton of attention. She would suck it up for Amy though.

"Sorry, Beth and I just have a belated birthday gift for Amy since we only got to see that concert." all three of the girls shared knowing looks.

"So, to the girl who told us 'I'm not an alcoholic, but all my good memories are surrounded by us drinkin',' we figured we would sing your favorite song." Beth finished.

Amy had turned red at the little toast about her crazy quotes that she threw out there sometimes.

Tara unpacked her guitar and Beth pulled out her banjo. They had been practicing this for a while and she hope everyone liked the performance.

Headed down south to the land of the pines  
I'm thumbin' my way into North Caroline  
Starin' up the road  
And pray to God I see headlights  
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours  
Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers  
And I'm a hopin' for Raleigh  
I can see my baby tonight

So rock me mama like a wagon wheel  
Rock me mama anyway you feel  
Hey mama rock me  
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain  
Rock me mama like a south-bound train  
Hey mama rock me

Runnin' from the cold up in New England  
I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time string band  
My baby plays the guitar  
I pick a banjo now  
Oh, the North country winters keep a gettin' me now  
Lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave  
But I ain't a turnin' back  
To livin' that old life no more

So rock me mama like a wagon wheel  
Rock me mama anyway you feel  
Hey mama rock me  
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain  
Rock me mama like a south-bound train  
Hey mama rock me

Walkin' due south out of Roanoke  
I caught a trucker out of Philly  
Had a nice long toke  
But he's a headed west from the Cumberland Gap  
To Johnson City, Tennessee  
And I gotta get a move on before the sun  
I hear my baby callin' my name  
And I know that she's the only one  
And if I die in Raleigh  
At least I will die free

So rock me mama like a wagon wheel  
Rock me mama anyway you feel  
Hey mama rock me  
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain  
Rock me mama like a south-bound train  
Hey mama rock me

By the last chorus everyone had joined in and the song had gone over splendidly. Amy had rushed over and gave a bear hug to her best friends.

"You girls know how to make me feel like I'm worth a million bucks," Amy told them in the hug.

"Don't low ball yourself, you are worth way more than a million bucks Aims." Beth told her. She meant it. Her friends were everything to her.

"I want you to meet Zach, the boy that I was tellin' y'all about." Amy left to grab her arm candy.

Beth and Tara shared amused smiles as Shawn and Daryl both walked up.

"Ladies, when ya sell out concerts don't forget us little people here," Shawn said dramatically.

"Oh, hush up now we ain't getting any singing contracts and you know it." Beth huffed.

"Coulda fooled me," Daryl said smiling at her.

Beth felt her heart beating against her rib cage. It was silly to feel this flustered especially with how close they had been these past weeks. But that was the problem. All she wanted to do was pull him down and show how much she appreciated his compliment.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Amy returned with Zach. She noticed both Shawn and Daryl scowl when he joined them and couldn't help the small chuckle she gave at their overprotective nature.

She still couldn't place where she knew Zach from. That bugged her something fierce.

"Hey guys, this is Zach. Zach this is everyone," Amy said as she laced her fingers with his.

Tara had introduced herself and when the boys made no move to introduce them selves Beth figured she should introduce herself.

"Well, I'm Beth and it's nice to finally meet the boy Amy has been telling us about," Beth smiled at him.

"I already know who you are," Zach told her.

Beth's confusion must have been apparent because a second later Zach clarified, but she wished he hadn't.

"Of course I remember you from Terminus, when you made out with that dude, what was it, Daryl or something?"

In that moment a few thoughts hit Beth at once. The biggest one was the fact the Shawn now knew about Terminus and the fact she had made out with his best friend. Fuck, how was she going to explain herself out of this one.

* * *

A/N: As always, jazznsmoke you are divine and the love of my life. I'm glad we are on this crazy train together. Guys, take time to tell her she's wonderful because she deserves it. Also, this is for you akiraflame! For being my tumblr bae and brotp. Your thoughtful and encouraging words are always appreciated.

To everyone else who has taken the time to favorite, follow, and review I cannot tell you than you enough. The love this story receives is always humbling and I just love all of you for it.

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own TWD or any of it's characters.


	7. Chapter 7

It took Shawn an exact fifty four seconds to process just exactly what Zach had just said and then it took another forty five seconds for Shawn to blow up. Beth only knew because she had started counting the seconds immediately. She could have punched Zach for the little slip.

"What the fuck did you do with my baby sister, Dixon?" Shawn snarled.

Beth wanted to bang her head on anything. Really, this overprotective brother gig was getting old and Daryl had been nothing but a gentlemen towards her.

"Look Shawn it ain't like that. We had been hanging out awhile and we just clicked. We were gonna wait for the right moment to tell everyone," Daryl told Shawn calmly.

Beth could feel her heart swell. She hadn't expected Daryl to defend their relationship or even allude to it. She sort of expected him to deny it and maybe accuse Zach of being a liar. That just wasn't the kind of man Daryl was though. That made Beth so much more confident in choosing to be with him despite Shawn's little outburst. She hoped once he cooled down Shawn could see how much she cared about Daryl and how good he was to her.

"I can't believe you'd sneak behind my back to fuck around with my baby sister. I thought you were better than this bullshit. I can't believe I ever trusted you around her." Shawn stepped into Daryl's personal space and raised his voice.

Beth had enough of what Shawn was saying. She knew if she didn't cut him off he'd probably say something worse. Plus, the look of despair that crossed Daryl's face was enough to raise Beth's temper.

"Shut the fuck up Shawn. I'm an adult and I pursued him not the other way around. If you wanna be mad at someone be mad at me." Beth hoped that maybe her stepping in would ease Shawn's anger. He rarely ever turned on her.

"That's fucking dandy because you make the greatest decisions when it comes to relationships," Shawn spat out.

Beth could feel everyone's eyes focusing in on Shawn's dramatic outburst. Beth was never one for confrontation and she especially hated that they had a crowd watching like hawks. Beth knew she would have to suck it up or they would never resolve this. At this point she had just wished she could be ballsier like her sister Maggie.

"I don't know what that means. You know Daryl is a good person and I don't know why him wanting to be with me all of sudden would change his character," Beth huffed. Maybe that would convince Shawn.

"You know exactly what that means. Remember last time? Because in case you fucking forgot I was the one that had to deal with your stupid fucking eating disorder while you tried to convince Jimmy to stop fucking cheating on you." Shawn snarled and Beth could feel the eyes that were watching rivet to Beth at Shawn's revelation.

"Oh, let's not fucking forget that I was the one to rushed you to the hospital because you cut your wrist because you realized you would never convince Jimmy to stop cheating on you and that douche was a stand up fella when you two started fucking around," Shawn's last bomb had Beth shaking.

She saw both Daryl and Tara step forward towards her as if they could be human shields to Shawn's words. She had reacted on instinct and the impulse to slap Shawn was strong. She hadn't realized she had actually slapped Shawn across the face until she felt the sting in her palm. She had never gotten in a physical confrontation with her siblings and it left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Fuck you. All I've ever done is look out for you and this is how you repay me. Grow the fuck up Beth!" Shawn yelled.

Daryl pushed Shawn back, "Seriously, cool the fuck down and leave her alone. You've said enough and I ain't gonna let you talk to her like that."

Tara and Amy both chimed with various derogatory comments towards Shawn and sticking up for Beth. They had been there when Beth was hospitalized and they knew that wasn't something he got to throw in her face because he was upset.

Shawn still looked pissed and the added comments from everyone except for Beth did little to deter his anger from his little sister.

"Since you have so many people wanting to fight your battles for you now, why don't you fucking live with one of them? I'm going to the farm tonight and I'll be there all day tomorrow and I expect all of your shit out of there or I'm gonna trash it." Shawn grabbed his keys and left before Beth could even respond.

Beth could feel the tears spilling from her face at her brother's declaration. He just ousted her darkest secrets and made her homeless all in one argument. Everyone at the bonfire was gaping at her and she didn't want to be the spectacle anymore.

"I need to get out of here, but Shawn was my ride. I can't be here. I'm sorry Amy," Beth rambled. She just wanted to leave.

"Look Beth, I'm gonna give Daryl my keys to take you back to his place. He can help you get all of your things with his truck and you can stay in the spare bedroom in my apartment until we can get this situation settled," Tara told her with a hug.

"You don't have to do this," Beth really didn't want to inconvenience her best friend.

"But she does Beth, you deserve a nice place to stay. Trust us, we will be straightening Shawn out for ya." Amy answered.

Beth really needed to thank her lucky stars for giving her two of the most loving best friends. She was one lucky girl. Before she knew it Daryl had the keys to Tara's car and was leading Beth away from everyone who had begun whispering at the party.

* * *

The car ride back to Daryl's apartment was mostly an awkward silence. Beth didn't really know what to say to him. She was torn between thanking him for stepping in when he did and defending her and then apologizing for ruining his friendship with Shawn. When Daryl killed the engine in front of his apartment building the guilt slammed into her stomach. The need to apologize overpowered the need to thank him for defending her. She waited until they were in the comfort of the little bedroom in the apartment to apologize.

"I'm sorry you had to hear all of that and I'm sorry for Shawn saying all of those things. You didn't deserve that" Beth hoped to God he knew how sorry she was.

"Shawn was being a dick and that ain't your fault." Daryl told her earnestly.

"It is my fault though, he's my brother," Beth knew Daryl writing off the blame was sweet, but she knew the entire fight was her fault.

"Yeah he is your brother, but you don't control his actions. You only control your actions and I ain't gonna hold you accountable for Shawn running his mouth in anger." Daryl took a step closer and put his hands on Beth's face forcing her to look up towards him, "This ain't how I hoped it would go down, but I'm glad everyone knows about us now so I can do this in public."

With that Daryl leaned down and kissed Beth hard. All of the pent up emotions from that evening's fiasco were flying back and forth in that kiss. Beth never had someone who made her feel as wanted as Daryl Dixon had in that exact moment.

"You know what is really stupid? I didn't get to try and bribe you to dance with me when Amy does her stupid mandatory slow dance at the end of the bonfire. Instead I ended up a crying mess because of my brother, but that's okay because I have to be the luckiest girl to end up with you." Beth told him. It was true. She had been looking forward to convincing him that he had to slow dance with her.

Daryl told her to stay put as he left the room for a moment. Beth chewed on her lip. She probably scared him off with that super sappy statement. She was so dumb. She should have just kept her mouth shut. Her thoughts were interrupted when Daryl came back in with an iPod dock.

"I ain't gonna be good, but I can try and at least give you one dance so this night doesn't end on a shitty note," Daryl's gaze was intense as he plugged in the dock and pressed play.

Beth could feel her heart swelling with the thought behind the gesture. She could feel tears threatening to fall once he hit play and strode over to her.

They weren't really dancing, just holding each other closely and swaying. It was enough for Beth though, especially because the lyrics were causing her heart to skip a beat.

When it came to the final chorus, Daryl attempted to sing along in Beth's ear.

Go ahead and call me, call me, call me  
You don't have to worry 'bout it baby.  
You can wake me up in the dead of the night;  
Wreck my plans, baby that's alright.  
This is a drop everything kind of thing.  
Swing on by I'll pour you a drink.  
The doors unlocked. I'll leave on the lights  
Baby you can crash my party anytime.

Beth couldn't imagine a better ending to the night. She didn't know how she ended up being so lucky and getting a man like Daryl Dixon. The only thing Beth knew for sure in that moment was that she's in love with Daryl Dixon.

* * *

A/N: As always, a huge thank you to jazznsmoke for encouraging and editing this story. Also, to bbjorgman and akiraflame! You both are always so encouraging and I appreciate it so much. Last, but not the least in any way, a huge thank you to kevkye for always taking the time to leave the sweetest reviews!

Thank you to everyone how has taken the time to read, follow, favorite, and review this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own TWD or any of its characters nor do I own the Luke Bryan song Crash My Party


	8. Chapter 8

Beth hadn't spoken to her brother in almost two weeks since the bonfire incident. She counted herself lucky that Tara had given her a place to stay and that Daryl had been so supportive. Beth had to fight her blush when she thought about how good Daryl had been to her through the entire situation. She knew he had questions about things that Shawn had brought up, but refrained from asking her out of respect.

She was thankful to have him in her life. She was on her way to meet up with him now for dinner. Now that all of their friends knew about them it was easier to have public dates. It took Beth by surprise the fact that both Amy and Tara had been okay with her keeping her relationship a secret. She guessed that with all of the Shawn drama on her plate they didn't want to add to it.

She swallowed when she pulled up to the restaurant and she saw Daryl leaning against his Triumph. How did she land the most handsome man in town? As much as Beth wanted to question how she was the luckiest girl she also didn't want to jinx this good luck.

"Hey, you look good." Daryl leaned over and threw his arm around her shoulders and led her into the little restaurant. Beth could feel herself blush with his casual remark. She had never been with a guy who had been so genuinely happy to be with her. She wanted to show him how much he meant to her and this time she planned for no interruptions. It probably helped that for the past few days she had been receiving pep talks from both Amy and Tara to take her relationship to the next level physically.

She knew it wouldn't be hard to convince him to let her stay the night at his place, hell she had stayed at his place more often than Tara's. Tara had a penchant for having guests at all hours of the night and that didn't always work well for Beth's work schedule. She was thankful she knew that both she and Daryl had the next two days off.

"What's got you smiling so crazy?" Daryl asked her.

Beth had to bite the inside of her cheek so she wouldn't give away what she had planned for later. "Just thinkin' about how I'm the luckiest girl in town since I'm here with you."

Beth's smile grew when she saw Daryl's face turn red. He always seemed to get bashful whenever she talked about how lucky she was. She didn't know how he couldn't see his worth, but she planned on showing him just what he was worth to her.

"Whatever, have you hit your head? Everyone knows I'm the lucky one" Daryl told her.

Beth could only shake her head. He would never take a compliment at face value, but she hoped she could change that tonight.

"How about both of us get to be lucky?" Beth sassed back.

* * *

Beth's palms were sweaty when they reached Daryl's apartment. It was fairly easy to convince Daryl to let her stay because Tara had guests over again. Any other time that white lie would have had Beth's stomach in knots, but right now her stomach was in knots from anticipation. She was never the one to initiate this kind of physical activity, but she was willing to try.

Standing in front of Daryl's bed made everything a little more surreal. He had grabbed a flannel and tossed it to her to sleep in. Usually she stole one to sleep in because they were insanely comfy and they smelled just like him. Tonight she threw the shirt back at Daryl who looked shocked at her actions.

"I want to try something different tonight, will you let me?" Beth hoped her question came off as sexy instead of sounding nervous like she felt. She almost smirked in triumph when Daryl only nodded dumbly.

She had closed the distance between them and kissed him with everything she had. She could hear Amy and Tara's voices coaching her on what she should do once she took control. She broke the kiss, but didn't break the intense eye contact. She kept the eye contact as she removed her shirt. Daryl's hands shot around her wrist to stop her from removing her bra clasp.

"What the hell is going on, Beth?" Daryl questioned her.

Beth had felt dread curling in the pit of her stomach. Her little display probably wasn't very sexy and Daryl was probably disgusted with her now.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me especially these past two weeks. I'm no good at this." Beth could feel her cheeks burning with shame. How did she let Tara and Amy convince her this was a great idea?

Daryl had let out a bark of laughter and Beth was sure he was laughing about her failed attempt at being sexy.

"Jesus, no good at this? You are the most fucking beautiful woman on the planet and I just wanted to make sure you wanted this and that you weren't doing this because you thought I wanted this," Daryl explained.

Beth felt guilty for even assuming that Daryl was rejecting her, but his little speech had cemented that this was the best idea. He didn't even care about himself just that she wanted it.

"Daryl, I've never been surer of anything as I am right now, here with you. I want you and I want this." To prove her point she kissed him again and she felt his hands on the clasp of her bra.

Before she knew it her bra was on the floor and she was being pushed gently onto the bed. She almost pouted at the loss on control, but the pout disappeared when Daryl's mouth met the junction between her neck and shoulder. Her hands clumsily pushed him up just enough so she could tug his shirt off of him. She admired his chest and his tattoos, but she didn't get too much of a chance to ogle because he had latched his mouth to her collar bone. His kisses roamed from her collar bone down to her chest and then they hit just a little bit below her belly button. His hand had hovered above her shorts as if asking permission to remove them. Beth lifted her hips to help encourage him and to make it easier.

He clearly took the lifting of her hips as a good sign because he slid her shorts and panties off at once. He sat crouched between her legs giving her one of the most intense stares. If it had been anyone other than him she likely would have covered up her body, but she trusted him completely.

"God, how did I end up so fucking lucky?" Daryl asked her as he stared at her exposed body. Beth didn't know what to even say to him. She just pulled him back to her and kissed him hard.

His tongue was creating sinful patterns in her mouth and it was making it hard to focus on anything else. It really became impossible when she felt him slip two fingers inside of her. She was overwhelmed with how well Daryl was working her body.

She had never been with anyone who had put her needs before their own. All of her previous lovers had been selfish and had only thought of themselves. This was a whole new experience for her and she could honestly say there was no going back after this.

Daryl had stopped kissing her and went back to kissing her chest. Beth could feel herself gasping anytime Daryl stroked her just right. She could feel the building pressure in her stomach and saw stars when he repeatedly hit that little bundle of nerves and telling her how tight she was.

She was blindsided by how good that felt and all she could think was that if Daryl could do that with just his hands she could only imagine what else he'd be able to do to her. She grabbed the zipper of his pants, but before she could help him remove his pants he stopped her.

"We can't go farther than this Beth." Daryl hissed out like he was in pain.

"Why the hell not?" Beth was confused. Why get to this point and then just stop? It wasn't like she changed her mind.

"I don't have any condoms," Daryl now resembled a kid on Christmas who had received a great gift, but then found out batteries weren't included so he'd have to play later on.

Beth almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. "Daryl, I'm on the pill. It's fine. I want this,"

She could feel his hardness pressing into her. She imagined it had to have been painful for him to cut himself off. She figured she knew a remedy for that. She pushed his pants off and then watched him remove his boxers.

She made a move to take him in her mouth. She had only done it a few times before and was really unsure of what exactly to do, but she figured she could take cues from him. Instead Daryl had pushed her back before she could even try.

"Not tonight. Tonight I just want to be inside of you," Daryl murmured in her ear. Beth could feel herself blushing. That isn't even the raunchiest thing that had ever been said to her in bed, but it had been the most intimate.

Daryl had lined himself up with her and kissed her hard when he thrust into her. He set a decent rhythm while they shared open mouthed kisses.

She knew in that moment that there wouldn't be anyone else for her. That after this act only Daryl Dixon would ever be able to satisfy her.

She knew he was close when his rhythm became more frantic. Beth hooked her leg behind his to give him better access and then pulled at the shaggy ends of his hair till he was kissing her again.

A few more thrusts in that new angle and Daryl had cum inside of her. Beth had felt surprisingly full and content.

Beth was concerned it wasn't that good for Daryl when he looked a little upset.

"What's wrong?" Beth wasn't sure she wanted to hear what she did wrong, but at least if she knew then she could fix it.

"I came early like some teenage kid with no control. It wasn't even good for you," Daryl looked like a petulant child.

Beth wanted to laugh. He was concerned because she didn't have an orgasm. How had she scored a man that was the perfect package? A few giggles must've escaped her lips because Daryl seemed to pout even worse.

"S'not funny. It should've been better for you." Daryl grumbled.

"Well, this was only round one. We do have the rest of the night if you really want to fix it" Beth told him slyly.

Daryl's face went from a pout into a beautiful smile. "Didn't know I was dating such a nympho," he joked with her.

"Shut up and let's try this again," Beth told him.

"Yes ma'am" and Beth had a feeling round two was going to be much better.

* * *

The next morning Beth woke to her cell phone going off which was weird since the only person who ever texted her early was Daryl. Most of their friends had a penchant for sleeping in while the both of them were early risers.

She groaned and checked all of the alerts. She was shocked when she saw the time was closer to one pm. She never slept in this late, but she guessed they hadn't fallen asleep after a few more rounds in the sheets.

Just thinking about it made her want to go again, but she noticed that one of the texts were from her brother begging for her to meet him so he could explain himself. The other texts were from Tara and Amy inviting her and Daryl to a dinner party at Tara's that evening.

Beth sighed heavily while contemplating her brother's request. This had been the longest she had gone without talking to him. It was weird because they never fought and truthfully she missed her big brother. She just wasn't sure she could overlook his tantrum or his poor treatment of Daryl.

"What could be bothering you already?" Daryl asked.

Beth jumped a little not realizing she had woken Daryl up when she detangled herself from him.

"Oh, uh Shawn wants to meet up and explain himself and I'm not sure if I should or not." Beth knew Daryl would give her the best advice in the situation.

"Look, I ain't agreeing with Shawn but I know alcohol and anger are never good combinations. Give him a chance to explain himself. He might even be sorry," Daryl told her.

She rested her head against his.

"I think you're right. Plus, if it goes wrong at least I have that dinner party at Tara's to pick me up. Want to be my plus one?" Beth had to stop herself from smiling when Daryl pushed her back on the mattress.

"Don't you know, I'm your permanent plus one, girl" Daryl told her before kissing her.

After the kiss Beth pushed Daryl off of her.

"We need to stop because if we start this I'm never gonna leave this bed and I told Shawn I'd meet up with him in an hour or so. I'll meet you at Tara's around five." Beth tried being serious, but it was hard when she was so content to just lay there in Daryl's arms all day.

* * *

Daryl had checked his phone for the tenth time since reaching Tara's home. Beth hadn't texted him since she left his apartment. He figured she was just trying to get through a difficult conversation.

His blood boiled when he considered the fact Shawn might make her cry again. If he did that, well, he would have to watch his back because Daryl wasn't too keen on anyone making Beth cry.

He just wanted her at this party because he wanted to tell her he loved her. He had chickened out the night before because he hadn't wanted her thinking he only said it because they had sex. Then again this morning he hadn't felt the timing was great with Shawn's texts.

Tonight though, tonight there would be no excuses. He was going to tell her he loved her. Maybe even tell her about the fact he had been thinking about them getting a nicer apartment together.

His thoughts were interrupted when there was knocking at the door. The only person missing from the party was Beth. This had to be her and in a few moments she would know how much he loved her.

Tara answered the door and Daryl was a little disappointed when he realized it wasn't Beth. His disappointment changed to confusion when he realized it was Shawn and he looked enraged.

"This is great. You guys are having a party while I fucking sit around waiting for my sister like some douche," Shawn spat.

"Last I checked you are some douche for what you did to your little sister." Tara spat back.

Daryl had to hand it to Tara, she didn't take shit from anyone and was fiercely protective of her best friends. It comforted him a little to know she had such great friends for when he couldn't be around.

"Is she at least here? We need to talk and nothing is going to get resolved if she just stands me up" Shawn's anger seemed to deflate some. Daryl could tell by the bags under Shawn's eyes that he hadn't slept in a while and he looked genuinely miserable. But Daryl was confused as to how Shawn would think Beth wouldn't show up, he watched her leave the apartment to meet him.

"She didn't stand you up. I watched her leave to meet you, dude" Daryl was trying to figure out where Beth went.

"Then were the fuck is my sister?" Shawn asked.

With that nobody had an answer.

* * *

A/N: I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank jazznsmoke for putting up with several days of crazy on my end. She is a literal saint! I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone on here and from tumblr for the out pour of support and kind words after that guest review. The amount of love and encouragement I received was crazy and so very humbling. So, from the bottom of my heart a huge thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own TWD or any of it's characters.


	9. Chapter 9

"What do you mean where the fuck is Beth? She should have been with you" Daryl was pissed that Shawn had even accused Beth of standing him up. Though his fear was growing larger than his anger at Shawn. It didn't make any sense for Beth to not show up. His mind was playing all the worst case scenarios of what could've happened to her.

It didn't help when all of Beth's friends seemed to have the same panicked response. Clearly, this wasn't some sick prank being played on Shawn as revenge for being ousted at the bonfire party.

The tension in the room seemed to build when Shawn's cell phone started going off. Daryl's mind shut off all the background noise. He didn't want to acknowledge the tension in the room was suffocating him and causing the panic to increase tenfold.

"What the fuck do you mean she's getting out of surgery?" Shawn shouted.

That shout increased the panic that Daryl felt. The only person that could bring that annoying overprotective tone from Shawn was his baby sister.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Shawn told whoever he was speaking too before hanging up.

Daryl needed to know what was going on. "Where the hell is Beth?"

"She's in Belleview Hospital. Apparently she was in a wreck and I need to go fill out paperwork or some shit since Dad is out of town." Shawn explained.

The whole room erupted in shouting and questions being hurled around. Daryl let the words circle around his head. Beth, his Beth, was in the hospital because she was in a car wreck.

Daryl's attention snapped back when Shawn started yelling at Tara and Amy.

"You ain't coming with me. At most they're gonna let two people back" Shawn yelled. Daryl assumed that meant both Amy and Tara were putting up a fight to go with Shawn.

"Both of you stop hollering. I'll go with Shawn to the hospital and I'll text you updates. Make shit Beth will want and come up in the morning," Daryl knew this was the only way to keep everyone from fighting.

He didn't want to waste a moment especially not when Beth could be hurt. Both Tara and Amy looked shell shocked, but Tara recovered faster.

"You're right. She's gonna want those raisin bran cookies to make her feel better since hospital food is shit anyways. Go, but I expect updates, Dixon or I'm hunting you down" Tara told him.

Daryl nodded in her direction. It looked like Amy wanted to add something, but Tara cut her off. In that moment Daryl could have kissed Tara. Amy would have wasted precious time with arguing had she not been stopped.

* * *

The car ride to the hospital was silent and tense. Daryl really had nothing to say to Shawn. He just needed to see Beth. He needed to know she was going to be okay.

Once they were in the hospital they headed to the information desk where a brunette nurse was working.

"I'm lookin' for Beth Greene. She's my sister and they called to tell me she was in a car wreck" Shawn's tone didn't show his stress. Being friends with him for years, Daryl saw through his facade.

"She's room 411, here are the two visitor badges. Once you get up to the room there should be a nurse there to take down some information." The nurse told them kindly.

Daryl felt his heart plummet into his stomach with her kind words. The fourth floor was for critical patients in the ICU. The elevator ride was the longest ride of his life.

He held his breathe as the door finally pinged and opened to the correct floor. He could do this. He would be strong for her. They saw a sign that directed them to the left. It took a few minutes to reach the end of the hall where the room was located.

Both boys stood in front of the door. The little plaque let them know they had arrived to the correct room. For a moment neither one of them made a move to enter the room.

Before they could open the door they heard someone in the room say, "Okay, we gotta call it. Time of death is 9:28 PM who is gonna chart it?"

Time of death? Daryl felt a numbness race down his spine. He was with her this morning. Fuck it all, he should have just kept her in bed and told her to blow Shawn off. This wasn't fair.

Shawn had slid down the wall and had begun to cry. If it had been any other situation Daryl would've sympathized with him, but this was his fault. Or at least in Daryl's opinion it was.

Daryl guessed his staring had bothered Shawn because he made some snide remark about taking a picture because it'd last longer. His anger towards Shawn was coming to a boiling point and he couldn't hold his tongue anymore.

"I don't even know why the fuck you're here. That last two weeks have been miserable for her because of the shit you pulled." Daryl was pissed for several reasons. Mostly because Shawn was choosing now to act like a big brother when he couldn't be bothered earlier on. Beth wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for him. Beth would still be here.

"Just because you fucked her once doesn't mean you get a monopoly on caring for her. She was just a piece of ass to you, but she'll be my little sister forever!" Shawn yelled back.

Daryl had it. He didn't really understand Shawn's issue with their relationship especially because he had seemingly forgiven Jimmy who had treated Beth like dirt.

"How do you know Beth ain't forever for me? Huh, how can you assume she ain't important to me?" Daryl was over Shawn's stuck up attitude. Especially when he knew Shawn was still friends with Jimmy.

"You really care, don't you?" Shawn seemed to deflate as the realization hit him.

"Of course I do. But you didn't want to see that and now you ain't gonna see it." Daryl felt his heartbreaking. He didn't want to acknowledge that Beth wouldn't be around anymore.

"I'm seeing it now, man. Look, I shouldn't have blown up on you two. I ain't ever gonna get to apologize to her. I just saw what happened with Jimmy and I didn't want that to happen again." Shawn put his head into his hands. His posture screamed defeated.

His words stole some of Daryl's anger. He understood that Shawn was feeling the weight of his guilt.

"Why are you even friends with him if he caused Beth all those problems?" Daryl needed to ask this. Partially because he was curious and partly because he didn't want to focus on the fact Beth was dead.

"Because Beth begged me to forgive him. Said he didn't know what she was doing and that if she could forgive him I should too. I ain't ever been able to tell that girl no and it last long" Shawn looked ready to burst into another round of tears.

"She has, I mean had the effect. She was somethin' else wasn't she?" Daryl couldn't hold the sob back that tore through his throat.

The door opening to the room opened and the nurses came out.

"Are y'all the family of Brian Green?" The nurse asked.

"Brian Green? No, we were told this is where Beth Greene is" Shawn shot up with the nurse's information.

"Is Beth short for anything?" The nurse asked kindly.

"Yeah, it's short for Elizabeth" Shawn explained.

The nurse sighed loudly and pulled out an iPad and scrolled through it. "The nurse up front sent you to the wrong room because she looked at the initial B. Green. Beth is in room 214 recovering from a minor surgery." The nurse explained.

Both boys looked at each other and felt relief flood their systems. Beth was hurt, but she was alright. She was alive and that was enough.

* * *

A/N: I would typically thank jazz for being an incredible beta and friend, but she has informed she hates raisins and well I'm not coping well.

Off of that little tangent, this chapter is for you Ash! I know you've had a rough week and I'm sending lots of love your way 3

A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to review that last chapter. It's the most reviews I've ever received on a chapter and I'm consistently humbled by everyone's kindness. So, from the bottom of my heart thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own TWD or any of its characters.


	10. Chapter 10

Daryl and Shawn had followed the nurse out to another floor. She opened the door and there lying in bed, asleep, was Beth. Even with the cuts on her face and the massive cast on her arm she was still the most beautiful thing Daryl had laid his eyes on. His heart clenched when he realized his earlier conversation with Shawn. He hadn't quite dropped the "I love you" bomb, but after this he wasn't sure he had enough time. He wasn't going to wait to tell her. His breathe caught in his throat when Beth shifted and opened her eyes. All he could see was blue and the only thing he could hear was the thud of his heart as it beat against his chest.

Beth blinked her eyes and stared up in confusion at both Daryl and Shawn. Daryl had thought seeing Beth injured was still one of the most beautiful sights, but that was nothing compared to seeing her conscious and coherent. Albeit confused, but Daryl would rather her be confused than dead any day of the week.

Daryl was beside her in a second helping her sit up. He barely paid any attention to Shawn who had taken the empty seat beside of him.

"Hey Beth, how are you feeling?" Daryl asked.

"Ugh, sore but I guess I should count myself lucky. You should have seen my car the picture is around here somewhere" Beth took her uninjured arm and messing around the nightstand beside her bed. She found the photo and handed it to Shawn.

Shawn showed Daryl the little Polaroid photo. Daryl felt his blood chill. Beth's car was completely unrecognizable and it was a damn miracle she only had a broken arm and scattered cuts and bruises.

"Holy shit Beth, I'm just glad you're alright. I know I'm the last person you want to see now. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am and how much I love you," Shawn told her. His tears from earlier had started again. The photo had been a confirmation to him just how close he was to losing his baby sister.

Beth looked at her hands when Shawn announced his apology, "I was pissed when you said the things you did Shawn. I forgive you because life is clearly too short to hold grudges."

Shawn sagged in relief and Daryl looked on with pride. Beth would forever be the best person he had ever met. The girl had every right to hold a grudge or demand something crazy from her brother, but she just forgave him. Daryl knew the world would be such a brighter place if more people had acted with Beth's grace and had her heart.

All of this cemented how much he loved Beth. Today was the day; he was going to tell her.

"I'm so glad you are willing to forgive me Bethy, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to prove it to you," Shawn promised eagerly.

"You don't gotta prove anything. Just accept my relationship with Daryl and we're good. I miss having my big brother around." Beth gave Shawn a small smile while she squeezed Daryl's hand lightly as if she were drawing strength from him. Which, in Daryl's opinion, was silly because Beth was hands down one of the strongest people he had ever met.

"Daryl and I had a talk. I should have listened before. If I had maybe I could have saved us all from this mess" Shawn's exuberance at Beth's forgiveness seemed to deflate as he blamed himself for his sister's condition.

"I'm glad y'all talked. But you can't prevent every bad thing from happening. This happened and I'm fine. Let's not worry about the details or place blame on something that none of us had control over," Beth looked pointedly at both guys.

Shawn got up and kissed Beth's forehead, "I'm gonna step out and call Amy and Tara. Want any thing other than the stupid hospital food? I'll get it for ya,"

Beth chewed on her lip, "If you don't mind getting me cheese fries and a burger. That sounds so good right about now."

Shawn nodded and exited the room. Daryl was grateful Shawn was giving them some space. After their talk Shawn probably figured Daryl wanted to have a moment to just talk with Beth.

"I'm so glad you're all right Beth. They sent us to the wrong room and we thought you were dead," Daryl was glad he kept it together especially when he said the word dead. He thought about how he had felt when he thought she was dead. He wouldn't make it. One time Beth had joked if there ever was an apocalypse that Daryl would be the last man standing. At the time he had laughed it off. Now he knew he couldn't be the last man standing. Especially not if something had happened to Beth. If she were gone he would be ruined.

Beth put her hand on Daryl's face and stared into his eye's breaking him out of his train of thought.

"I'm right here and I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon." Beth made sure Daryl was staring directly into her eyes as she emphasized she didn't plan on going anywhere.

Daryl felt his heart tighten with her words. He grabbed her face and kissed her, mindful of the cuts on her face. The kiss hadn't lasted long, but it was filled with desperate need and passion.

Daryl put everything he wanted to say into the kiss. He pulled away and leaned his forehead against Beth's forehead. He wasn't even sure how to string the words together. He had never told anyone he loved them. He hadn't ever considered he'd be in this position.

He tried to think back on the stories Merle had told about love confessions, but none of those seemed to fit or apply to this situation.

"What's wrong Daryl?" Beth looked concerned.

"Nothing is wrong, why'd ya ask?" Daryl didn't understand. Didn't he just kiss her? Shouldn't that be an indicator in how he was feeling?

"You just got real thoughtful and then you started frowning. What's on your mind?" Beth quirked her head to the side as she spoke.

"I, fuck, I want to tell you something but I ain't sure how to word it and it's gonna probably come out all wrong but I need ya to bear with me," Daryl looked at Beth.

When she nodded her understanding Daryl decided to suck it up and just tell her.

"I love you Beth. I wanted to tell you the other day and I fucking chickened out. Then I was gonna tell you at the party tonight when Tara played your favorite song. I'm not good at this, but you, Beth Greene, you are my forever and I fucking love you so much."

* * *

Author's note: Firstly, I want to apologize for my lack of updates. Life has gotten a little out of hand recently, but it's starting to become organized again. Anyways, as per usual I cannot thank jazznsmoke for truly being the greatest beta and best friend possible. Without her putting up with me I fear this chapter would of never been written. Let me know what you thought of this chapter in a review! And thank you to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, and followed.

Disclaimer: I do not own the walking dead or any of its characters portrayed in my story


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